001. THE BREWING STORM

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THERE WAS A BREATH OF COMFORTABLE SILENCE BETWEEN THEM AS THE PAIR OF YOUNG GIRLS GAZED AT THE NIGHT SKY ABOVE. The queen's vision never left the stars, but the girl lying beside her within the cool grass field couldn't help but stare at the monarch. There were galaxies shining from the queen's rich brown eyes and a spark of wonder that Calithea Darllavi hoped would never be extinguished.

Their fingertips brushed against one another before interlocking with a gentle squeeze. Slowly, the young queen turned her head to face her handmaiden—a girl she'd grown close enough to consider not just a friend but a confidante.

Calithea's face burned with warmth. She could feel the rosy color flushing her cheeks as the queen greeted her with the softest smile. She loved these little moments. The moments where they were authentically and unabashedly themselves: Calithea Darllavi and Padmé Naberrie. The moments where they could shed the masks of Sabé and Queen Amidala to embrace the fresh air of the Naboo countryside.

Technically it was against regulation for the two girls to be so far from the palace so late in the evening, but it had become a regular practice to escape the droll life of palaces and politics. Captain Panaka severely disapproved, but what the man didn't know surely couldn't hurt. And how could he possibly know when Cordé was covering for them? Even the captain had trouble telling the queen apart from her handmaidens.

Calithea's breath caught in her chest as Padmé's lashes fluttered with the breeze. The queen's eyes drifted back to the Naboo sky with a contented sigh. "The stars are beautiful this evening."

"Yes," Calithea agreed, never once looking at the sky. "They are... My lady?"

The queen's voice twittered with a melodic laugh. "How many times will I have to tell you to call me Padmé, Thea?"

"At least once more, my lady," Calithea teasingly replied, but her eyes were genuine every time she uttered the title. There was just something that made the handmaiden's heart flutter every time she whispered the honorific. Because for a brief moment, she could delude herself into believing that she actually possessed some small piece of the girl beside her—that she might actually be worthy of calling a queen hers or claiming the monarch's attention for only herself.

Padmé rolled her eyes, but her lips remained curled back in an amused smile. "What was your question, Thea?"

"What do you do when your heart conflicts with your duty?" Calithea's eyes drifted to the queen's lips as she spoke.

Padmé's features twisted with deep thought. Calithea loved the way her nose scrunched or how her eyes focused on a singular constellation as if seeking knowledge. After a long pause, Padmé finally replied. "The heart is what defines the importance of duty... are you unhappy here, Thea?"

Calithea quickly shook her head. "No, the opposite, my lady! I'm happiest when with you."

"But your heart longs for more," Padmé added as if reading the handmaiden's mind. Calithea nodded her head. Padmé sighed. "I feared you might... I knew the life of a handmaiden would not nearly provide as much excitement as you'd like. If you'd prefer to transfer to a more active unit, I won't hesitate to sign the necessary paperwork. You are my dearest companion—my bosom friend, Thea. You deserve the world."

"Yet I cannot have it," Calithea whispered under her breath. She shook her head to correct the misconception, reeling back the emotional desire to scream of her affection at the top of her lungs. Returning to her post behind the walls that separated her duty and obligations from the yearning that overflowed from her very soul. "As long as I am by your side, I am content with my role. I have no need for excitement when I am called friend to the queen."

The concern melted from Padmé's features. The queen had been consoled that her favorite handmaiden had no desire to leave. It was almost believable that the entire situation had been hypothetical. And so they quietly continued to stare at the stars... until the stars began to fall from the sky.

Streaks of light tore across the deep violet expanse, briefly blinding the girls from their tranquil evening. Calithea immediately rose to her feet, reaching a protective arm out to keep the queen within her grasp. Her fingers trailed down toward the dagger she kept concealed in a pocket tucked into the folds of her gown, but her attention was drawn elsewhere before she could unsheathe the weapon.

"Your Majesty!" Captain Panaka's voice echoed across the field.

Calithea's face paled. They'd been caught—and worse—caught during what might possibly be the first real attack Naboo had seen in years.

"What are you doing here?" Padmé asked. "How did you find us?"

"Cordé," Panaka replied as if that answer should have been satisfactory enough. "There's something you must see."

"Is something wrong?" Padmé asked, concern and fear flashing into her eyes.

"It's the Trade Federation," Panaka replied. "They've formed a blockade."

"What?" Padmé's shock echoed over the hills. "But they're one of our strongest allies."

"They were," Panaka agreed. "No steps have been taken that warrants a war yet, but the council is requesting a meeting to discuss a truce. Your presence is necessary and I thought it best to retrieve you before your doppelgänger was found out."

Padmé and Calithea grew sheepish once more. Perhaps the captain was more observant that either girl had credited him. The pit of dread in Calithea's stomach only grew as Panaka leaned over with a whisper meant for only her ears to head.

"We'll discuss this little stunt later."

Calithea gulped, hiding her guilty hands behind her back as if that would make anything better. Padmé hardly noticed the gesture, far too concerned with the well-being of her own people to focused on the consequences that might befall her for sneaking out.

"What have we done about the blockade so far?" Padmé asked, glancing back over her shoulder as she led the way back to the palace.

"The council has reached out to Coruscant for aid," Panaka replied. "It may take days for them to respond—weeks even—but the council appears hopeful that the Jedi Order will be involved in the decision of our fate."

Padmé slowly nodded her head, a growing look of defiance entering her eyes. "Then it's up to us to resolve the negotiations until we hear a reply."

If only anything could ever be that simple.

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